A regional business leader who helped grow the aerospace sector in the Tri-Cities before his untimely passing has been posthumously honored by the state and his company. Wysong Enterprises Tuesday joined with State Representative Timothy Hill for a brief ceremony to rename a half-mile section of State Road 75 near the Tri-Cities Airport as the Rodney Wysong Memorial Highway. Also in attendance were State Senator Jon Lundberg and State Representative John Crawford.
“Rodney Wysong was an exceptional and hardworking individual who was instrumental in the remarkable growth and success Wysong Enterprises has experienced,” said Rep. Hill. “His life touched our entire community, and today’s ceremony is a small way we can honor and always remember the legacy he has left behind — both in the avionics industry, as well as the entire Northeast Tennessee region.”
Rodney grew up in and around the aviation industry by helping Wysong Enterprises, Inc., founder Steve Wysong, Rodney’s father from the time he was a small boy.
“Seeing this part of Highway 75 named after Rodney means a lot to our family,” said Steve Wysong. “Rodney traveled all over the world attending aviation trade shows with me. As a boy, he would play at the office. As a young man, he built a solid reputation in the aviation industry. He was responsible for bringing a lot of business to Northeast Tennessee. Over the years, he went from being just my son to everyone in the industry to becoming the face of the company and the customers Rodney was dealing with saw Me as just Rodney’s dad. It’s clear that Rodney’s hard work touched many lives.”
Rodney fought brain cancer fiercely before he passed away on April 17, 2016. His legacy will now be on display for anyone traveling near the airport, Steve Wysong said. “I want to thank Rep. Hill for making this memorial possible. Our entire family and our entire company are humbled that he took the time to recognize what Rodney meant to our family, our company, and this region.”
